Video and/or audio content is increasingly being delivered across the Internet and presented to users by a media player. The media player may operate to present such content in at least two general ways. First, the media player can begin playing the content while the content is sent over the network. This is generally referred to as streaming, and the associated content may generally be referred to as streaming content. Streaming content may present certain advantages to the end-users, such as reducing the time between the content's selection and display and removing the need for client-side storage of media files.
Streaming content typically falls into two general categories: broadcast and on-demand. To a streaming server, a broadcast source is usually any external video or audio feed, such as a television or radio station, whereas an on-demand source is usually a multimedia file chosen by the user.
Broadcast streams are generally entered “in progress” by users. Each client connects to a single “pushed” stream so all clients experience the same portion of the media at the same time. On-demand streams are generally discrete “pulled” multimedia segments, such as individual songs or video clips that are delivered to each client upon request. Each client starts at the beginning of the clip.
Second, as an alternative to streaming, the content may be completely downloaded in advance of play by the media player. The content associated with this method of operation may generally be referred to as downloaded content. The download approach may allow for delivery of higher-definition content than what the user's network connection might otherwise support when streaming, and may allow for offline viewing of content. Additionally, allowing the user to download high-definition content in advance of play may reduce the content publisher's reliance on more expensive streaming technologies.
This available content creates video and/or audio advertising inventory. In other words, the available video and/or audio content creates opportunities for the insertion of video and/or audio advertising content. Advertising content is generally any other content besides the editorial or programming content (which is the content the user desires to have presented), and is typically content that promotes particular services or goods. Advertising content may be, for example, previews for editorial content being offered in the future (referred to as “previews”), an indication of the source of programming content (referred to as “branding”), or promotions to buy or otherwise acquire specific products or services (referred to as “advertisements”). Specific examples of such advertising content include channel ids, notification of upcoming programming in the playlist, and cross-promotions of similar editorial content.
The editorial video and/or audio content being made available on the Internet (and through other packet-based networks), however, is typically being provided by a number of independent publishers of content and, generally, as a result, the potential advertising inventory is generally fragmented and there is little or no management of this inventory. In other words, while the delivery of editorial video and/or audio content across the Internet by different publishers produces video and audio advertising inventory, that inventory is generally fragmented and unmanaged. This means that advertisers that want to use this advertising inventory may have difficulties in obtaining access to this inventory, and to the extent that they can, they may have little control over the delivery of their ad campaigns in terms of targeting, frequency capping, session management, ad unit standardization and other requirements. In addition, any reporting they receive back may be equally limited.